2025 Parish Council Minutes

DRAFT MINUTES POINTON & SEMPRINGHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

Held on Tuesday 8th July 2025 at 7.30pm in St Gilbert Primary School

Councillors present: Cllrs Christie, Clarke, Green, Greenwood, Keeley, Ross and Wesley.

In attendance: C Cllr M Hill, D Cllr Dixon-Warren, R. Boden (clerk)

To be noted that the meeting may be recorded for the purpose of transparency.

AGENDA 

Chairman’s Welcome and Housekeeping Arrangements.

25066. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION SESSION

To receive reports from outside bodies.

- Report from C. Cllr Hill. Since the new political party has come to power there has not been much change. There is to be a 3-year complete spending review, part of which includes local government.

- Within Pointon, LCC commissioned a survey since the last flooding issues and along with the Crown Estate a solution has been reached. West Road has still some issues due to the range of sizes of pipes.

Mareham Lane has recovered well after the emergency work. There is just a little work to do.

- Report from D. Cllr Dixon-Warren. The County is now in severe drought. Though it doesn’t affect this parish consultations are ongoing for the installation of pylons from Grimsby to Whaplode. SKDC are putting £50M into a network of support for Armed Forces

- Questions or Points raised by residents and members of the public. On this occasion public participation will be held at the end due to the topics that are going to be discussed and questions that is likely to be raised.

COUNCIL SESSION

25067. To receive Declarations of Pecuniary or Non-Pecuniary Interest. Cllr Keeley declared an interest in item 6.

25068. To receive and accept Apologies for Absence. It was noted that Cllr Wesley was running late but there were no apologies.

25069. To approve the clerk’s notes for the meeting held on the 6th May 2025 and for the chair to sign. It was resolved to approve the clerk’s notes for the meeting held on the 6th May 2025 and for the chair to sign.

25070. To declare eligibility and adoption of The General Power of Competence (compliant with S.1-8 Localism Act 2011 and the Parish Councils (General Power of Competence) (Prescribed Conditions) Order 2012. (CILCA obtained 30/6/25). It was resolved to declare eligibility and adoption of The General Power of Competence (compliant with S.1-8 Localism Act 2011 and the Parish Councils (General Power of Competence) (Prescribed Conditions) Order 2012 as CiLCA obtained 30/6/2025.

Cllr Wesley entered the meeting 7.35pm

25071. Finances 2025/26

a) To receive a report of payments, made between meetings, in the financial year 2025/26. It was resolved to accept the clerk’s report on payments between meetings.

b) To approve payments as list below:

6/5/25 VE Day Expenses - £63.47

July 25 Scribe - £328.32

It was resolved to approve payments listed above.

c)  To accept the list of payments received:

17/6/25 HMRC Vat - £8,144.75

18/6/25 SLCC Trust - £120.00 

It was noted the payment of the VAT reclaim had been received from HMRC and a payment of £120 from the SLCC Trust for the clerk to obtain her FILCA qualification. The large Vat reclaim is mainly from the purchase of the play equipment and this amount will be ring fenced back to purchasing further play equipment.

d) To approve the bank reconciliation and for the Vice-Chair to sign. It was resolved to approve the bank reconciliation and for the vice chair to sign.

e) To ratify the purchase of insurance from Zurich at £656.52. It was resolved to ratify the purchase of insurance from Zurich at £656.52 to keep the Council legal. The clerk explained that she had gone out for three quotes but the council was too much of a risk for one and the other couldn’t respond in time.

f) To discuss the 1st quarter spending against the budget. It was resolved that the 1st quarter spending was positive.

Cllr Keeley left the room at 7.45pm.

25072. Grant Application: To consider a grant of £250 to Linkwell for mobility aids under LGA s.137. It was resolved to give a grant of £250 to Linkwell for mobility aids.

Cllr Keeley entered the room at 7.47pm

25073. Playing field:

a) To consider the repair of the historic equipment. It was resolved that the Council would repair the slide, roundabout and seesaw. Quotes have been received and the Council resolved to go with MWH mobile blast cleaning at a cost of £1230 + VAT.

b) To consider signage for dogs to remain on leads on the field. It was resolved to purchase signage for dogs to remain on leads whilst on the field.

25074. Pinchbeck United Football Club: To consider entering into a partnership. 

The clerk had been contacted by Pinchbeck United as they were looking for a ground. The clerk and Cllr Clarke had met 2 representatives on the playing field initially with follow up meetings at Pinchbeck United’s ground collecting information and doing due diligence.

The clerk and Pinchbeck United reps had met with Jake Parks from the Lincolnshire Football Association who agreed that the sight would be appropriate for funding available that could change the building into a community hut. Due to accessing funds and grants it would have to over 25 years of working in partnership with the Council.

A meeting with the Cllrs was held where all Cllrs were updated with what Pinchbeck United were offering to the community. This was followed with a meeting of Cllrs, the two representatives from Pinchbeck United and the secretary and development officer from Pointon Football Club. The Chair from Pointon Football Chair was invited but was unable to attend due to work commitments.

Relevant issues such as parking and lighting were discussed with the emphasise on it becoming a community hub that would remain within Parish Council control. It had been suggested that the building turn 90 degrees. The FA were willing to work with everyone and do the drawings for the building. There was talk about opening 7 days a week with a bar and food being served. Lincs FA are willing to accommodate any game clashes. 

The Parish Council would insure the building and Pinchbeck United the contents with Pinchbeck United looking after the field and the line marking. 

With Pinchbeck United being Step 8 it would allow access to further funding that the Step 6 Pointon Football Club could not source. This would also include funding that could enable the Council to purchase further play equipment.

A fee of £80 per match for Pointon Football Club had been mentioned which would cover the use of the pitch, community hub and cleaning of the facility. There would be no having to pay for grass cutting or line marking, they could just come and play.

Pinchbeck would be charged £125-£150 a game whilst they also maintained the field and any other matches that took place would be charged at £100-£125 a game. Any monies from food sales would come to the Parish Council whilst any bar sales would go to Pinchbeck United.

This extra income to the Council would allow the precept to be reduced for the electors of the parish.

Cllr Keeley proposed that the Council go into partnership with Pinchbeck United. Cllr Green seconded the motion and it was resolved to enter into partnership with Pinchbeck.

After the chair gave the appropriate warning, the meeting was suspended at 20.06pm due to disruption.

The meeting resumed at 20.09 pm

25075.  Clerk’s Report – To receive an update of developments between meetings. There was nothing to report that had not already been covered.

25076. Policies - To review and accept the following policies:

a) Complaints Policy. It was resolved to accept the Complaints Policy.

b) Data Breach. It was resolved to accept the Data Breach Policy

c) Data Protection. It was resolved to accept the Data Protection Policy.

d) Freedom of Information. It was resolved to accept the Freedom of Information Policy.

e) Publication Scheme. It was resolved to accept the Publication Scheme.

f) Financial Risk Assessment. It was resolved to accept the Financial Risk Assessment.

g) ToR Staffing Committee. It was resolved to accept the Terms of Reference for the Staffing Committee.

25077. Date and time of the next Parish Council Meeting – 2nd September 2025

25078. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Questions were asked regarding the picnic tables, the council paying the clerk Working from Home Allowance, the AGAR, the white gates and the Annual Parish Meeting not being held. These questions were answered including that the Annual Parish Meeting was held on the 13th May at 7pm in the Village Hall.